Drops of Jupiter
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: What if Elphaba had returned a few weeks after Glinda left the City? How would she have changed? And how would she have changed everyone else at Shiz? AU Musicalverse.
1. Chapter 1

**Drops of Jupiter**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: What if Elphaba had returned a few weeks after Glinda left the City? How would she have changed? And how would she have changed everyone else at Shiz? AU Musicalverse. **

**A/N: I know, I know. Why am I starting another story when I have so many others to finish? Well, it's been buzzing in my head all day. And I know I ended it too soon, but I just got the basic idea up before I had to go to bed (sorry about that), so here's the rest of the first chapter. **

**A/N: _Drops of Jupiter _belongs to one of my all-time favorite bands, Train.**

**Thanks to Carlysauras, Incapability, Leia Emberblaze, lizziemagic, Merina 2, and Beautifully Tragic Girl for reviewing the first half of the story. **

It was a normal day at Shiz- as normal as a day could get. But for four students, things were different. Very different.

Elphaba was gone.

It had been weeks since Elphaba had Glinda return to school. She'd taken the Grimmerie and run, leaving Glinda behind. As far as everyone knew, Elphaba was now a Wicked Witch, a fugitive, an enemy of the Wizard.

And their lives were all that much duller without her.

So as Glinda, Fiyero, Nessa, and Boq were passing between classes, something caught their attention- something at the gate.

"What's going on?" The other three shrugged, and followed the blonde, as she pushed through the crowd- or tried to. Something was fascinating the other students. "Hey! Hey, Milla! Milla!" A pretty redhead turned. "What's going on? What's all the commotion-" Other students turned to glance at her, before starting to whisper.

"She's back."

"I can't believe she returned."

"I thought the Wizard called her a Witch."

"I guess they were wrong."

"But she sent Glinda back to Shiz-"

Suddenly, Glinda found herself amidst a commotion of rumors and whispers, as students quickly turned to look at her, before turning back to the gate. She glanced at Fiyero, Ness, and Boq, before speaking up again.

"What's so-"

Slowly, the crowd began to part, revealing a young girl.

A girl with long, thick, straight black hair, dark brown eyes, and.....

....green skin.

Elphaba.

Only, it didn't _look_ like Elphaba. Well, not the Elphaba they knew. The Elphaba_ they _knew wore long, black dresses and army boots. The Elphaba they knew, wore glasses and kept her head buried in books. She didn't go out on school nights, and camped out at the library.

This Elphaba- this girl- was dressed in a pair of jeans (a new fashion gracing the City, something Glinda despised), a forest finery top, a pair of heels, and a jacket. She had a knapsack over her shoulder, her hair was streaked in deep violet, and the top half of her straight hair was pulled back into a twist, held with two decorative sticks. She wore a pendant around her neck, and had a book tucked in her embrace. She looked around quickly, before her eyes landed on Glinda.

The blonde's breath caught, as the girl moved towards her. She walked with confidence, holding her head high- a major difference compared to the old Elphaba, who had kept her head down, her gaze averted. Once she stopped a foot from her old roommate, she sized the blonde up, taking in her outfit- from the hooped skirt to the blouse and blonde curls. Disgust swam in her eyes as she took in her former roommate. After a moment, she reached up to grab her pendant, and said,

"Hello Glinda."

For a moment, said Glinda couldn't speak, she just backed up, and clutched Fiyero's arm protectively, afraid Elphaba was going to bite her and suck her blood. Quickly, Fiyero shook her off, and shoved her towards Elphaba. He didn't want to deal with her. She may have been his girlfriend, but not for very much longer, if he had anything to say about it.

Swallowing, Glinda forced a smile, and waved quickly.

"H.... hi, Elphie."

The other girl's eyes clouded, but the clouds quickly vanished. She cleared her throat softly, and squared her shoulders.

"I see you..... haven't changed."

Slowly, Glinda lowered her head, looking down at her outfit, as Elphaba's eyes did the same.

"Was I supposed to?" She asked, looking up at Elphaba.

"I just... thought you'd be paying close attention to the fashion. Because.... in the City, jeans are all the rage. Not hoops and sausage curls. Those are kind of.... grandmotherly." Then, Elphaba turned to Fiyero. "Hello Yero." He smiled at the sight of her, and hungrily, his eyes took her in.

She looked beautiful- modern. Something Glinda- no matter how hard she tried- could never be. Could never look. Glinda would always be the girl with the sausage curls, the hoopskirts, she would be "Youthful Intelligence"; a living bust, to be admired. She had no real brain in her head, not one that could be used, anyway. She would always be the dumb blonde, nothing more. She didn't have the depth and mystery that Elphaba had, and never would.

_I should have been with Elphaba all along. _He smiled at her, relieved that she was back. Maybe now, they could have a fresh start. He'd dump Glinda, and-

"Long time no see." He nodded, unable to get his vocal chords to work properly. She waited, and when she got no answer, continued on. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"He's glad to see you, Elphie. We both are- all are." Glinda said, jumping in, lacing hands with Fiyero, who promptly, and quickly, wrenched his hand from her grasp. She turned at the sudden movement, but Fiyero had moved towards Elphaba by now. Finally, he found his voice. Reaching out to cup her cheek gently, he whispered,

"I love you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: So, shall we continue? Yes? No? No objections? Okay. Here's chapter two. **

**A/N: I take the cafe from the book and add it here. **

**A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter, and so I went back and read it again, and I'm not happy with the length, so here is the rest of Chapter Two. Sorry about this. The next chapter WILL be longer.**

**Question: Who IS the new headmistress?**

**Answer: You'll find out.**

**Question: Am I right in thinking she's killed Morrible?**

**Answer: Musicalverse..... hmm... no, not killed..... think musicalverse. **

**Thanks to Leia Emberblaze, lizziemagic, Beautifully Tragic Girl, deeplyshallow and gagakid for reviewing the first half of this. **

A small smile graced her pretty features, and she lowered her gaze, before looking back at him. Slowly, her teeth slid out to capture her lip, and she wrinkled her nose out of nervousness, before tossing her head to remove the bangs falling into her eyes. Fiyero watched, mezmerized by the confidence that seemed to slide over her skin like the jacket she wore.

It sparked in her eyes, showed in her smile, and lit her cheeks with a soft rose blush. It held her spine erect, squared her shoulders, and lifted her head. It moved slowly down the object of her attention, sizing up said object, before removing itself with the removal of her gaze. After a moment, she reached out, offering her hand. He took it, shaking gently, noticing the rings on her fingers- one on her thumb, one on her middle, and another on her index finger. A set of bangles dangled from her wrist, and her nails were coated in a pretty soft midnight blue.

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Yero. I love you too." She whispered, pulling away and turning to Nessa and Boq. She smiled at the Munchkin, waved, and finally directed her gaze to her little sister. "Nessarose."

"H... Hello, Fabala." Nessa replied, startled at her sister's transformation. On first glance, Nessa seemed to look more like a child than a college student, and Elphaba..... well, Elphaba looked like a graduate student. It seemed impossible that the two were _actually_ related. A smile graced the older girl's face, a smile filled with warmth, and care, and just a hint of loathing for the girl that had unknowingly made her life a living hell for the last nineteen years. She didn't hate her sister, she loved her, she just.....

"It's good to see you, Nessa. I've missed you." She waited, and when the younger girl smiled, she relaxed.

"I missed you too, Fabala." The girls embraced, and once they parted, Elphaba turned to look at the rest of the student body. They waited, breath baited, for her to speak. After a moment, she raised an eyebrow, turned, and moved down the path to Crage Hall, the rest of the students following at a distance. They watched her look around, watched her examine everything. When she made it to Crage Hall, she turned to the rest of the school and asked,

"So, who's the new Headmistress?"

Silence greeted her. She waited, watching everyone. Finally, Milla stepped forward, brave enough to speak to her.

"Um. Madame Tipton is the new Headmistress. She's-"

"What is going on here?" Quickly, the students parted, as a woman in her mid-thirties pushed through. Elphaba took her in quickly. She was average height, with short brown hair and grey eyes. "Go on. All of you, back to your dorms! Now!" Once the students began to leave, she turned, and jumped, startled to see Elphaba standing before her. "Oh sweet Oz. Who are you?" She asked, grabbing the stitch in her chest.

"Madame, she's my-"

"Madame Tipton, this is-"

"This is my sister-"

"Elphaba. I'm Elphaba Thropp." The green girl interjected over the other three, as she held out her hand. The headmistress glanced at it, before reaching out and shaking it. "I'm a- a student here at Shiz. I was just- spending a holiday in the City. I just got back." Elphaba said, giving only a few select details as to why she had been in the City. The headmistress nodded.

"The City?" Elphaba nodded. "And how did you like it?" Madame Tipton had been born and raised in the Emerald City; what a woman like her was doing at Shiz, Oz only knew.

"Very much." Elphaba replied, a relieved smile appearing on her face. "The culture is so- it's very- I've never seen- there is nothing_ like _the City." Madame Tipton nodded, pleased.

"I agree. Now, Miss Thropp-"

"Elphaba."

"I'm sorry?"

"Please, Madame, Elphaba." Tipton eyed her for a moment, a small smile forming.

"Very well, Elphaba. Now, are you in a dorm?" As Elphaba opened her mouth, Glinda stepped in.

"Yes Madame, she's my roommate." Elphaba bit her lip. _Not if she had anything to say about it._

"Well, that's wonderful. Now, I assume all of your things are still in your dorm, Elphaba?" The green girl nodded. "Good. As for the classes, I'm sure if you explained to your professors that they'd understand." Elphaba nodded again, as Madame Tipton led her into Crage Hall, the other three following behind. Once they made it to Glinda and Elphaba's dorm room, Tipton said, "Well, all your things are still here, so you should settle back down easily. But if you have any trouble with your professors, let me know." Elphaba nodded, as Tipton went to the door.

"I will. Thank you, Madame."

"Selia."

"What?" Elphaba's eyebrows rose.

"Please, call me Selia." After a moment, Elphaba nodded.

"Okay. Selia." Once she was gone, Elphaba turned back to the other three. She looked them up and down each in turn, and removed her knapsack from her shoulder. Sighing, she went to her bed, tossed the bag on the bed, and then toppled back onto it. She lay there for a minute, staring up at the ceiling, thinking. Softly, she laughed, before turning to look at the other three.

"What? What's so funny, Elphaba?" Glinda asked, raising an eybrow. Elphaba sat up, leaning back on her hands and kicking her heels lazily against the floor.

"Mmm.... nothing. Just thinking."

"About what?" Nessa asked, wheeling closer. Elphaba shrugged, as her eyes rolled heavenward, and a smile played on her face- she was hiding something. Something she didn't want to share.

"Nothing."

Nessa eyed her sister for a moment, before turning and going to the door. "You're lying. And while I'd love to stay and find out what it is, I'm going to be late to my next class. I'll see you all later." With one last glance at her sister, she was gone. Once they were alone, Fiyero and Glinda turned to Elphaba. Slowly, Glinda wrapped her arms around Fiyero's waist, only to have him roughly shove her away. Elphaba watched with lazy interest, before she sighed and got up, grabbing her bag before heading to the door.

"Where are you going?" Glinda asked, watching as Elphaba slipped her back over her shoulder. The green girl turned to look at her "friend."

"I'm going to go to The Wilted Rose. Why? Did you want to come?" She asked, refering to the cafe outside Shiz- a popular hangout for Shiz students. Quickly, Glinda shook her head. Taking Fiyero's silence as agreement, she left, closing the door behind her. It was as Fiyero moved to the door, that Glinda realized something Elphaba had said.

_"So, who's the new Headmistress?"_

Had she known that something was had happened to Morrible, even before the students did? Quickly, Glinda rushed from the room, grabbing Fiyero's arm and dragging him behind her.

"Elphaba! Elphie, wait!" The green girl was too far away to hear. Only when Fiyero pulled out of Glinda's grasp and called, "Fae! Wait a minute!" did she stop and turn, waiting. Once Glinda was close enough, she asked,

"How did you know about the new Headmistress? Where's Madame Morrible?"

Elphaba wrinkled her nose, annoyed with the persistent 'Twenty Questions' game Glinda was playing, and finally turned on her heel, heading down the stairs.

"Elphie-"

"She's in jail!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl, gagakid, Leia Emberblaze, deeplyshallow and lizziemagic for reviewing 2.**

The news that Elphaba was back broke like a glacier breaking off from a landmass. Everyone was anxious to see what the "green freak" looked like now that she was back from her "Big City" adventure. However, most would have to wait, but the select few that didn't want to wait until class, followed her to The Wilted Rose, and converged outside the cafe, watching through the windows, too afraid to go in.

Elphaba ignored them, so involved in her book was she. Not only did she not notice the crowd, but she didn't notice Fiyero until he had pushed through the crowd, entered the cafe, and stopped at her table. Slowly, her dark eyes removed themselves from the page until they locked with Fiyero's. He smiled at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Yes? Do you want something, Yero?"

He shrugged.

"Just... wanted to say 'hi.'" She nodded.

"Hi ." After her curt answer, she returned to her book.

"What are you reading?" She didn't look at him, instead lifted the cover- _Dante's Inferno_. A book from the Wizard's world. After several minutes, she responded.

"It tells the story of a traveler's journey through the seven circles of Hell to get to Heaven. Which is basically a metaphor for the trails life puts out for us, and how each trial is our own Hell- each with a different number of circles- that we have to get through before we can reach Heaven. Assuming there really is such a place called Heaven, and that there's such a place as Hell. Then you get into the possiblity that each and every one of us has created our own form of Hell- unintentionally- and now must work through it to Heaven."

Lost after the first sentence, he just nodded in agreement.

"Oh, sounds... interesting."

She watched him a moment, eyebrow raised.

"It is."

They sat in silence, Elphaba reading, Fiyero watching, before he finally reached over, lowered her book, and said,

"Can we talk?"

"Sure." She marked her place, closed her book, set it on the table, and leaned back in her seat, arms crossed over her chest, waiting. "About what?"

He tried to think of something to say, running over everything in his mind that didn't sound stupid or sexual, but came up empty every time. Finally,

"How was the City?"

The waitress arrived, carrying two cups and a pot of coffee. She set both down, filled one cup, and left.

"Fine." Elphaba said, taking a sip of her soy latte.

"Fine?"

"Yeah, fine."

"Just... fine?"

"Yes, just fine." He set his cup down.

"It had... it was just... amazing." She whispered, star-struck. Fiyero chuckled softly.

"So you liked it?" She nodded.

"I loved it."

The look on her face was one of a dream, she seemed to transport back to her time in the City. As he examined her, he realized that she held herself with a grace that seemed to transend that of humans. She seemed almost etheral, from her looks to her attitude, she seemed to be of another world entirely. She wasn't stuck up like Glinda and her friends, and she wasn't a bimbo like other girls, she was cool, sophisticated, down-to-earth like girls from the City. She seemed to exude it.

"So... what did you do while you were there?"

She thought a moment, before reaching up to tangle her fingers in the chain of the pendant.

"I can't describe it. It... it was amazing. Absolutely amazing. Being there, doing what I wanted. That whole city is..."

"Amazing?" He offered, as she laughed softly.

"Yes."

"You must have had a great time." She nodded.

"I did."

"I'd love to go some time."

"Why don't you?"

He set his cup down.

"What?"

She met his eyes, taking a sip of her latte.

"Why don't you go to the City?" He shrugged.

"What would I do in the City?"

She set her latte down and leaned back in her chair.

"Well, you could... go for a walk in the park. Xahu Park is _beautiful_ this time of year. Or... you could wander Cansdil's Village, where the artists live. Or see a show on Merti. Or even go rollerblading through the Meatgrinding District." She leaned close. "Or, if you want to rebel," She licked her lips, and thought a moment. "You could get a tat done. There are some great tat places in the City."

He rolled his eyes and chuckled softly, sipping his coffee.

"I already have several, but thanks anyway."

She shrugged and wrapped her hands around her cup, taking a sip before speaking.

"Just a suggestion."

He chuckled softly.

"And let me guess, you were suggesting it because you have a tattoo."

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. He took a sip of his coffee, and then set the cup down, opening his mouth to say something, before he stopped and thought.

"Wait a minute. You have a tattoo."

She raised her eyebrows. Then, she slipped her book in her bag, grabbed her wallet, pulled some cash out, and stood, throwing her knapsack over her shoulder. Then, she tossed the cash on the table, and went to him, leaning down to whisper in his ear,

"Wouldn't you like to know."


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Elphaba's entrance is based on Bonnie's entrance in _The Craft_.**

**Thanks to lizziemagic and Redheaded Witch for reviewing 3.**

The next morning, everyone waited anxiously in Life Sciences for Elphaba to enter. Dr. Nikidik took roll, and passed out the assignments, but ultimately, they all turned their attention to the door. After ten minutes, Elphaba didn't show, and they all reluctantly turned back to the lecture. But they didn't have to wait long.

Fifteen minutes after lecture started, the door opened, and Elphaba entered. Every head turned to take in the green girl, and even the professor stopped lecture to watch her enter. She wasn't shy about it either. While the old Elphaba would have snuck in and tried to get to her seat without attracting attention, this new Elphaba did the exact opposite. She strode in, head high, back straight, her confidence wrapped around her like a snake, keeping others at bay. She glanced quickly around the room, sizing everyone up before going to her seat. As she walked, she removed her knapsack and then took off her jacket, revealing the twin mounds of her smooth shoulders.

"C... class started twenty-five minutes ago, Miss Thropp. You're late." Nikidik said. She didn't say anything, just went to her seat at the front of the class.

"Sorry. My manicure took longer than I thought." She replied, sliding into her seat next to Fiyero. She glanced quickly at him, before crossing her legs, causing a side of her short black skirt to hitch up, exposing thigh. He glanced at it, before meeting her eyes. She smiled at him, before turning back to Nikidik. "You were saying?"

It was hard to get back to lecture, however. Elphaba's entrance had caused a stir to start up, and the students spent more time trying to get a glimpse of the green girl, than taking notes. She sat tantalizing everyone, and _knowing_ that she was tantalizing them. Her long black hair was pulled back in a twist, the streaks looking like drops of Jupiter. She was in a strapless blue top, the black skirt, and a pair of black stilettos that showed her figure and accentuated her long legs. Her makeup was subtle, and she tangled her fingers in the pendant around her neck.

Eventually, realizing that the class was going nowhere, Nikidik let them out early.

Every student followed her out, keeping a safe distance away, watching her. She either didn't notice or ignored them, and continued to the cafeteria. They watched her slip in, look around, and come out, before slipping off campus. After several moments, Fiyero slipped away from the others and followed her, keeping several feet behind her. He managed to slip into the cafe and behind her without a word.

"Following me now?" He jumped, and looked around quickly, before spotting her at the table near the counter, waiting for her latte.

"No. Why would I follow you?" She turned to look at him, eyeing him slowly.

"Here you go." She grabbed her drink, and pushed past him.

"Thanks." Quickly, he followed.

"Elphaba! Hey, Elphaba!" They continued down the street, Elphaba ignoring him as she sipped her latte; he hurrying to catch up. Finally, she turned to him.

_"What?" _

He skidded to a stop, suddenly unsure of what to say. She waited. After grasping at straws for several minutes, he finally said,

"Um... hi."

Slowly, her eyebrows rose. "Hi? _Hi_?" He nodded. After a moment, she licked her lips and glanced at the ground before looking back at Fiyero. "Fiyero is there a _reason _why you're following me? Because if there is, I would _really _like to know what it is." Fiyero's eyes went from Elphaba's hands, which waved as she spoke, and her face. _"Fiyero, did you hear me?" _

"I'm sorry, what?" She glared at him.

_"Did you hear a word I said?"_ Reluctantly, he shook his head. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Look, Yero, I don't know what's going on in that brainless head of yours," She said, moving past him and turning. "but you'd better get it straightened out, because I would love to know why you've taken to stalking me. Now unless you're going to declare your undying love for me, I'm going to head back to the Wilted Rose, and I don't want to see you again unless you have your story straight. Got it?" Slowly, he nodded. "Good. See you, Yero." Then, she turned and headed back to the cafe, leaving Fiyero in the middle of the street.

He stood there, Elphaba's words running circles in his head. When he was certain they'd make his sick, he turned and headed back to Shiz. Once there, he slipped into the cafeteria, and got lunch, before taking a seat at a table. His thoughts wandered to Elphaba, when Glinda joined him, her posse in tow. She took a seat next to him, and snuggled close, wrapping her arms around his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. Twenty minutes later, Elphaba entered, and went to cashier, apple in hand. She had her knapsack slung over her shoulder, her latte in one hand, and Dante's Inferno tucked under one arm. It was then that Fiyero decided to act, while the object of his affection was still in the room.

He shook Glinda off, and got up to dump the scraps of his lunch.

"Fiyero, what's gotten into you lately?" He turned to Glinda.

"Nothing." She smiled, going to him. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him- when he shoved her away.

"Fiyero!"

"Don't, okay. Just don't."

"But Pookey... I'm you're girlfriend, you're supposed to kiss me-"

"No I'm not." The blonde backed up.

"What?"

"I'm done, Glinda. I'm done with us."

"But... But Fiyero, I love you." He pulled away when she reached to take his hand.

"Well, I _don't love you_." Tears formed in Glinda's eyes and she took a deep breath.

"But... we... we're perfect together. We've always been perfect together. We belong together." Slowly, Fiyero shook his head, and turned to go. Anger boiled in his blood, anger at himself for taking part in the charade for so long.

"Go to hell, Glinda. Go to fucking hell." Then, he turned and left, meeting Elphaba's eyes as he passed. She left not long after, Glinda's scream following.

_"WE BELONG TOGETHER!"_

"Yero. Yero!" He stopped, and turned, to see Elphaba hurrying to catch up.

"What do you want, Elphaba?"

"I can't believe you actually did it." She said, as they continued to the canal, snacking on her apple.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" He asked, turning to look at her. She took a seat under the cherry tree and shrugged.

"Yeah, somewhat. What changed your mind?"

"I'm sick of Glinda and her superficial crowd. I want down-to-earth, real." She nodded.

"Glinda's a bitch."

"I thought she was your best friend." The green girl shrugged.

"Just because she's my best friend, doesn't mean I like her. I got sick of her weeks ago."

"Is that why you stayed in the City so long? To get away from her?" Elphaba met his eyes and stood.

"Maybe." She turned, tossing her apple core into the canal and leaving, before turning back and eyeing him. "Maybe you are getting a backbone after all."


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Sorrry this chapter is so late...**

**Question: Does she (Elphaba) have a spell on her or something?**

**Answer: no, she's just confident**

**Thanks to Maiqu for reviewing 1, 2, 3 and 4 and to lizziemagic and Issa(dot)wicked17 for reviewing 4.**

Fiyero spent the next several days trying to get Elphaba's attention. Since he'd broken up with Glinda, it was a lot easier, even though Glinda's friends kept giving him dirty looks. And the petite blonde spent more time trying to get back with Fiyero than accepting it, and tried all she could to get back together with him. Eventually, he lost his temper, and threatened to go to Morrible if she didn't leave him alone.

So Saturday, Fiyero found himself wandering around downtown, stopping at the bookstores to see if Elphaba was there. Eventually, his feet led him to The Wilted Rose, and he found Elphaba sitting at her usual table, reading. Taking a deep breath, he entered and went to her.

"Hey."

She glanced up at him.

"Hey."

"Mind if I join you?"

Instead of saying anything, she kicked the extra chair across from her out, and then returned to her book. He ordered a cup of coffee, and took a sip just as Elphaba set her book down.

"So, stalking me, are you?" She asked, picking up her latte. He set his cup down.

"No. Just... wanted to come see you." She looked at him over the rim of her cup.

"Well, you've seen me. Happy?"

"Oh come on, Elphie, you're not that much of a recluse." She raised an eyebrow.

"How would you know?" She asked, crossing her arms on the table.

"Because I know you."

"Really?" He nodded, reaching over and taking her hand, the silver bangles she wore sliding down her arm.

"You're one of my closest friends."

"But do you really know me?" She asked, pulling her hand away and getting up. Then, she grabbed her book, bag, and cup and left. He sighed, paid for the coffee, and hurried after her.

"Elphaba!" She ignored him, and he chased after her. When they finally made it back to Shiz, he cornered her in the rose garden, blocking her from leaving him alone. Once they were together, he moved towards her, forcing her to move back so that she was pressed against the flowers. "I know you better than I know myself. I've always known you. From the moment we met, I've known about you, and your life, and how you wanted a change. You talked about it even before you left for the City. You talked about wanting to change, about wanting to become someone other than who you were."

She eyed him before opening her mouth.

"Of course I did. I hated who I was, always following the rules, always doing what I was told, always catering to Nessa and Father and whoever else needed me." She moved closer to him, forcing him to take a step back. "So when I went off to the City, I did just that. I changed. For the better."

"For the better?" She nodded. "So... denouncing Glinda as your best friend was for the better?" She rolled her eyes.

"You know very well that little creampuff will never change. It's better for all of us if we break off any sort of friendship with her. And... that includes asking for a new roommate."

He chuckled softly.

"So you finally did it, you got rid of the blonde." She nodded.

"Of course I did. She's been getting on my nerves. Why do you think I sent her home early? I couldn't stand being around her anymore. I needed time to myself." She pulled out a cigarette, and lit it, taking a puff before removing it from her lips and blowing a circle into Fiyero's face.

"I didn't know you smoked."

She shrugged.

"I picked it up in the City. It's a relaxant." He chuckled softly, reaching out and taking the cigarette from her hand, before taking a drag from it.

"Well, I'll give you this. You've got good taste." He said, handing it back to her and going to a nearby bench and taking a seat. She followed, sitting next to him, before slipping the cigarette between her lips.

"So did you really threaten to get a restraining order?" He chuckled, and sighed.

"Is that what you heard?" She nodded, placing the cigarette between her lips and pulling out the pack, holding one out to him before handing him the lighter. He handed it back to her, removing the cigarette from between his lips and exhaling. "I _might_ have threatened." She raised her eyebrows, surprised.

"I'm impressed." They sat in silence for several minutes, smoking and enjoying each other's company. After a while, she turned to him. "You've changed."

"Is that a good thing?"

"A very good thing." She whispered, leaning close. He met her in the middle, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. After putting both cigarettes out, they wrapped their arms around each other, deepening the kiss as they moved from the bench to the grass. He ran a hand down her side, pulling her closer, until she was flush against him.

"Should we be doing this?"

"Shh. Don't talk, just kiss me." She whispered, brushing her fingers over his lips. She searched his eyes, before capturing his lips in hers, and moving her hands down to the buttons of his shirt...


End file.
